Li Tiannan finally made up his mind.
As the saying goes, self-interest is paramount, and heaven and earth will destroy anyone who does not look out for themselves!
Chen Jinzhao finally breathed a sigh of relief, but his expression remained as calm as ever.
His goal was to stir up trouble within the Li family, and that objective had now been achieved.
Li Tiannan's ambition was something Chen Jinzhao had previously overlooked. Fortunately, he had managed to persuade him, leading to a temporary alliance between them.
"What do we do next?" Li Tiannan asked.
Chen Jinzhao said meaningfully, "You know yourself what needs to be done. Most of the warriors in the Li family compound are your men. Do I need to tell you how to proceed?"
The Li family compound currently housed over three hundred warriors.
More than half of them belonged to Li Tiannan's Azure Dragon Special Operations team, and they obeyed his commands without question.
Li Tiannan gave Chen Jinzhao a meaningful look, and his tone was somewhat complex as he said, "I never expected that you and I would ever stand on the same side."
"Let's get to it," Chen Jinzhao said, not wanting to waste any more time.
Li Tiannan fired a shot into the air as a warning. He then addressed the Azure Dragon Special Operations team, "All listen to my command! Li Tian Ce intends to harm the Old Master and usurp family power. This person is ambitious and treacherous. My grandfather is a military magnate, and Li Tian Ce's actions are a severe violation of the law!"
"From now on, you will all follow my orders, protect the Old Master, and eliminate Li Tian Ce and the sycophants surrounding him!"
The warriors of the Azure Dragon Special Operations team instantly understood Li Tiannan's intentions.
A warrior under Li Buyan's command then voiced his dissent, "Li Tiannan, what nonsense are you spouting? It is Chen Jinzhao who wishes to harm Old Master Li, not Mr. Li Tian Ce. I believe you are trying to rebel!"
"I will not obey your orders or commands!"
Bang!
Li Tiannan fired his gun directly.
A bullet pierced the head of the speaking warrior.
Before the warrior fell into a pool of blood, he looked at Li Tiannan with disbelief.
He had never imagined that Li Tiannan would dare to open fire directly!
Li Tiannan withdrew his gaze and declared to everyone, "Anyone who has objections will suffer the same fate!"
The next moment.
Another person stepped forward.
Chen Jinzhao squinted and recognized Bai Zhen, the man who had fought him at the welcome banquet that day.
Li Tiannan frowned and looked at Bai Zhen, "What? Are you going to stop me?"
Bai Zhen immediately shook his head and then said, "Azure Dragon, we brothers will pledge our lives to follow you. Please lead us into battle!"
"Eliminate Li Tian Ce and restore the empire!"
A mocking curve appeared on Chen Jinzhao's lips.
If he remembered correctly, Bai Zhen had previously followed Li Tian Ce, not Li Tiannan.
Going further back, Bai Zhen had once been associated with Qin Fengwu.
Now it seemed Bai Zhen was a opportunist, or more crudely put, a traitor who served three masters.
Li Tiannan detested people like Bai Zhen. However, since Bai Zhen had now declared his allegiance, Li Tiannan could not act against him. He could only nod and say, "Bai Zhen, you will lead your brothers and divide into three groups to surround the Li family compound! Remember, not even a fly must be allowed to escape!"
"Understood!" Bai Zhen replied.
Bai Zhen divided the forces within the compound into two groups and sent them towards Li Buyan's and Li Tian Ce's resting quarters from two directions. Ostensibly to protect Li Buyan, their true purpose was to place him under house arrest.
Li Tiannan did not stand idle. He shot and killed the snipers hiding in the shadows.
He ensured only his own men remained.
At that time.
Li Buyan was deep in thought within the assembly hall.
When the sound of gunfire came from the backyard, Li Buyan frowned and murmured, "They've finally started shooting. I hope it leads to a good outcome."
He harbored an intense hatred for Chen Jinzhao.
Thinking of this, Li Buyan murmured to himself again, "And Tiannan..."
"What are his true intentions?"
Li Buyan's discernment was sharp.
He had seen at a glance that Li Tiannan harbored dissatisfaction towards Li Tian Ce. If this were allowed to continue, it could lead to internal conflict.
"This is all my fault. I shouldn't have let Tiannan join the military back then. My intention was for him to support Tian Ce, but it seems I've only fueled Tiannan's ambition. I've made the same mistake as Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Li Yuan." Li Buyan was filled with regret.
Now, he could only place his hope in Li Tiannan's repentance.
Li Buyan still had the ability to suppress Li Tian Ce, thus preventing fratricide.
Bang bang bang!
Intense gunfire sounded again.
What made Li Buyan uneasy was that the gunshots were getting closer. He immediately sent someone to investigate what was happening.
Not long after.
The person Li Buyan had sent rushed back to the main hall in a panic.
Seeing this, Li Buyan reprimanded, "Didn't I tell you to remain calm and composed in the face of adversity? Don't be so flustered."
In wartime, such a demeanor could easily affect morale.
The person's face was still pale, and he said breathlessly, "Master, something big has happened!"
Li Buyan abruptly stood up and stared intently at the butler, "Speak! What has happened?"
"Second Young Master has led his men to protect you, claiming that the Eldest Young Master harbors rebellious intentions. The Second Young Master and the Eldest Young Master's men are now in a standoff!" The butler's words caused Li Buyan's face to contort in shock. He then stumbled and fell onto his chair, his eyes becoming vacant.
"How could this be..." Li Buyan found it hard to believe. This was the scenario he dreaded most.
The more one feared something, the more likely it was to happen.
After a brief moment of shock and anger, Li Buyan slammed the armrest of his chair and declared furiously, "Li Tiannan is attempting to rebel! Do not try to stop me, I will mobilize troops immediately to suppress his men. I will also question him face-to-face about why he is doing this!"
Li Buyan stood up and attempted to leave the main hall, but even the butler could not stop him.
More intense gunfire erupted outside the hall. Li Buyan's steps halted at the doorway, and the butler hurried to his side.
When they both clearly saw what was happening outside the hall, their faces showed shock.
The once peaceful courtyard was now a scene of carnage, with many lying in pools of blood. Li Buyan even spotted several Li family members among the corpses—
Li Weiran was among them.
Li Buyan's personal guards had already been subdued and brought under Li Tiannan's control.
"Foolish, utterly foolish!" Li Buyan cried out in anguish.
"Where is Li Tiannan, that unfilial son? I must question him face-to-face as to why he has done this!"
Li Buyan stepped forward, intending to walk out of the courtyard.
Bai Zhen suddenly appeared, blocking Li Buyan's path. Bai Zhen was covered in blood, giving him a ferocious and menacing appearance!
"Please, Old Master, remain here. Azure Dragon is currently executing the remnants of Li Tian Ce's faction," Bai Zhen said with a grin.
"Get out of the way!" Li Buyan roared.
"No one can stop me today, or they will all die!"
Bai Zhen remained rooted to the spot.
Li Buyan did not attack Bai Zhen, as engaging with a young man would be self-humiliating and undignified.
The next moment.
Li Tiannan's cold and ruthless voice came from behind Bai Zhen, "Bai Zhen, step aside. I have something to say to the Old Master face-to-face."
Bai Zhen heard this and retreated to the side of the doorway, guarding it and preventing anyone from entering or leaving.
The butler, being sensible, left the hall, leaving the sanctuary of the living room for Li Buyan and Li Tiannan, allowing the grandfather and grandson to meet once more.
Inside the living room.
Li Tiannan knelt down before Li Buyan with a thud.
"Grandfather, I am late."